Online Personals Watch: News on the Online Dating Industry and Business

Tinder Lets Sex Offenders Use the App

PROPUBLICA - Dec 2 - Match Group screens for sexual predators on Match, but not on Tinder, OkCupid or PlentyofFish. A spokesperson said: "There are definitely registered sex offenders on our free products." Match first agreed to screen for registered sex offenders in 2011 after a lawsuit. A Match Group spokesperson said the company cannot implement a uniform screening protocol because it doesn't collect enough information from its free users, and that background checks do little more than create "a false sense of security" among users. "Our checks of the sex offender registry can only be as good as the information we receive," she said, explaining that the government databases can lack data, have old pictures or include partial information. Herb Vest, founder of dating site True.com used to pay ~ $1M a year for third-party services like rapsheets.com and backgroundchecks.com. True.com even warned subscribers that the company would sue if they misrepresented their pasts. True ultimately folded in 2013 but Mr Vest insists the cost of doing background checks didn't play a role in his company's closing. "People can't rely 100% on the sites," Vest said. "But as an industry, we could have done much better."

by Hillary Flynn, Keith Cousins & Elizabeth Naismith Picciani
See full article at ProPublica

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Match Offers Holiday Hotline to Provide Dating and Relationship Advice

ASKMEN - Nov 26 - This year, Match is providing a Holiday Hotline. Singles who have found themselves seriously unlucky in love can dial 1-888-302-6224 to connect with one of the dating service's highly trained relationship experts. The service goes live on November 25, will run for a two-week period, and is available from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. CST during weekends.

by Christina Majaski
See full article at AskMen

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Helen Fisher: How Does Love Affect the Brain

NPR - Nov 26 - Helen Fisher says love is a biological drive and a survival mechanism. She discusses the science of love and how much control we have over who we love, how we love, and whether that love lasts.

See full article at NPR

Match Group Q3 Earnings, Shares Plummet Following a Weak Q4 Forecast

WSJ - Nov 6 - In Q3, Match Group's profit rose to $151.5M, from $130M in Q3 '18. The revenue rose 22% YOY to $541.5M, topping analysts' expectations of $540.7M. Yet total operating costs and expenses jumped 20% in the quarter as selling and marketing, product development, amortization and general operating expenses nudged higher. Overall average subscribers rose to 9.6M in the latest quarter, up from 8.1M in the year-ago period. Shares of Match Group dropped 16% after the company's financial targets for the current quarter came in below analysts' estimates. Match Group said it expects total revenue for the Q4 to be $545M - $555M, falling below analysts' estimates of $559M in revenue. Match also projected adjusted EBITDA in the range of $205M to $210M, behind analysts'target of $228M, and also said it expects to spend ~$25M in long-term investments and incremental legal costs in the Q4. Match Group is involved in several legal tussles, most recently with the Federal Trade Commission over claims that it induced nonpaying users to subscribe to its Match.com app based on "fake profiles." Match is also involved in an intellectual-property battle with Bumble, as well as multiple suits against a Tinder co-founder.

by Kimberly Chin
See full article at Wall Steet Journal

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Millennials Are Too Broke to Date

THE MOTLEY FOOL - Oct 31 - According to Match.com, 33% of young singles believe that their financial situation is getting in the way of dating. 20% don't even think they should be dating at all until they achieve a particular income level. According to a study on underemployment by The Economic Policy Institute (EPI), in 2018, 11% of young college graduates were underemployed, up from 9.4% in 2007 and 6.9% in 2000. The term underemployed includes graduates who are unemployed as well as those who could only find part-time jobs. Other research puts the total unemployment rate for millennials at over 12%, which is much higher than the national average. A study by The Ascent found that 63% of millennials still depended on their folks financially to some extent. In 2018, the average cost of a date - including two dinners, one bottle of wine, and two movie tickets - was $102.

by Dana George
See full article at The Motley Fool

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Barry Diller: Facebook Is No Match for Match.com

FOX BUSINESS - Oct 16 - Facebook is not the place to go for online dating, according to IAC and Expedia chairman and senior executive Barry Diller. He said that if a company focuses on one thing, it will tend to do it better than others who are "dabbling." "The truth is we have not yet seen competition from Facebook," Diller said. "It's our business. For them, it's a little side business."

by Catie Perry
See full article at Fox Business

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Pomerantz Law Firm Investigates Claims on Behalf of Investors of Match Group

GLOBE NEWSWIRE - Oct 3 - Pomerantz is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Match Group whether Match and its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. On Sep 25, 2019, the Federal Trade Commission announced that it had sued Match.com for, among other things, using artificial "love interest" ads to deceive consumers into buying or upgrading subscriptions, failing to resolve disputed charges, and intentionally making it difficult to cancel subscriptions.

See full article at Globe Newswire

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"Fraud" Isn't a Word Investors Want Associated With a Dating Platform

WALL STREET JOURNAL - Oct 4 - The Federal Trade Commission alleges, among other things, that Match induced nonpaying users to subscribe to its Match.com app based on "fake love advertisements" identified as potentially fraudulent. Suits against other dating platforms brought by the FTC over the past several years have resulted in settlements requiring companies to change business practices, enhance security and provide some monetary compensation to deceived consumers. Match's stock, which is up 73% in the year to date, has fallen 12% over the past month. Since the FTC's claims date back two years, it doesn’t appear that this case will resolve itself soon. None of the practices the FTC is alleging remain in place today, according to the company.

by Laura Forman
See full article at Wall Street Journal

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Match.com Sued by FTC for Using Scammers' Profiles to Lure Subscribers

FTC - Sep 26 - The Federal Trade Commission is suing Match Group for allegedly using fake accounts to get more people to sign up for paid subscriptions. "We believe that Match.com conned people into paying for subscriptions via messages the company knew were from scammers," said Andrew Smith, Director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection. Match allows users to create profiles free of charge, but prohibits them from responding to messages without paying. The FTC alleges that millions of contacts that generated Match's "You caught his eye" notices came from accounts the company had already flagged as likely to be fraudulent. By contrast, Match prevented existing subscribers from receiving emails from a suspected fraudulent account. In a statement, Match Group dismissed the FTC accusations as "completely meritless" and says the allegations are supported by "consciously misleading figures." The FTC also alleges Match deceptively induced consumers to subscribe to Match.com by promising them a free six-month subscription if they did not "meet someone special," without adequately disclosing that consumers must meet numerous requirements before the company would honor the guarantee.

See full article at FTC website and Forbes

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60% of Women Have 'Dumbed Down' on a Date

MIRROR.CO.UK - Sep 17 - A new survey by Match asked 2K participants about their behaviours when it comes to dating. 52% of female respondents struggle to find someone who stimulates them intellectually, with 37% feeling like they intimate men with their intelligence. 59% have actually 'dumbed down' on a date to seem less intelligent. But 82% of respondents said they’d go on a date with someone who wasn't clever, as long as they were attractive.

by Shivali Best
See full article at Mirror.co.uk

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Facebook Dating vs. Match.com vs. Tinder

BENZINGA - Sep 8 - Here's a comparison of Facebook Dating with Match.com and Tinder.

Cost
Facebook - Free. At first, it will also be without ads
Match.com - A basic profile is free. The premium annual subscription is ~$20 a month.
Tinder: Basic Tinder is free. Tinder Plus costs $9.99/month.

Safety
Facebook: Lets users on a date share real-time location with friends on Facebook Messenger.
Match.com: Report abuse or assault in the app or online.

User Numbers
Facebook: Unknown; Facebook hasn't disclosed.
Match.com: Average subscribers on all of Match Group's apps grew 18% to 9.1M in the Q2 of 2019.
Tinder: 5.2M as of Q2 2019

How Old Are These People?
Facebook: undisclosed, but users on the overall platform are between 25 and 34
Match.com: 28% are 54- 74, 36% are 39 - 53 and 31% are 24 - 38

by Dave Royse
See full article at Yahoo Finance

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Top Dating News - Facebook Dating, (Ask)Match, and Blued's IPO

OPW - Sep 3 - Here's the top dating news in ~2 minutes. Subscribe to Two Minute Tuesdays (TMT) on Youtube (and turn on notifications) or to the podcast on Breaker, Google podcasts, Spotify, Anchor or Stitcher. 

Match.com Goes Beyond Just Setting up the First Date

DALLAS INNOVATES - Aug 30 - Hesam Hosseini, the new CEO at Match.com, talks about Match.com's makeover. He and his team have completely overhauled the app so much that it's unrecognizable from a year ago. Hosseini wants to slow people down, there's a strict no swiping rule on Match, so users have to deliberately spend more than a second on somebody's profile. "Match has never been about quantity. It's always been about quality," he says. "We have to date a little bit smarter, helping people realize what they want and getting them to change their behavior." The app has launched AskMatch, a "dating coach" service that's free and available to all paying members. Users can speak to a highly trained coach over the phone to ask about anything concerning their dating life. AskMatch is currently being introduced across the country.

by Alex Edwards
See full article at Dallas Innovates

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Match.com Offers Dating Coaches to Its Subscribers

FAST COMPANY - Aug 26 - Introduced in New York City in May, the AskMatch dating coaching service is now available in 18 states and Washington, D.C., with plans to expand to all U.S. subscribers by January 2020. The coaching - typically over the phone - is included in Match's standard subscription. "We get people who say, 'I need help flirting. I forgot how to flirt,'" says Katie Wilson, a veteran dating coach who came to Match in Dec 2018 to build its team. Wilson spent four and a half years as a manager and director at matchmaking company Three Day Rule. The L.A.-based boutique service has had a partnership with Match since 2014, aimed at users who want to get personalized matchmaking. Three Day Rule coaches will appear in tips videos for AskMatch.

by Sean Captain
See full article at Fast Company

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Top Dating News - The Meet Group, Singles in America, Yoti, Bumble

OPW - Aug 6 - Here's the top dating news in ~2 minutes. Subscribe to Two Minute Tuesdays (TMT) on Youtube (and turn on notifications) or to the podcast on Breaker, Google podcasts, Spotify, Anchor or Stitcher. 

Match Group's CEO on Innovating in a Fast-Changing Industry

HBR.ORG - Aug 5 - The speed of change is one of the things I love about this industry. Companies need to innovate constantly - with technology, pricing, product features, and business models - to stay ahead of competitors and continue to grow. I ran Chemistry.com from 2006 to 2008. It was my first general management job, and I loved building the team. We grew the site quickly. As Chemistry.com expanded, the company's flagship Match.com seemed to be plateauing. So in 2008 management asked me to move over to Match.com and try to reenergize that brand. Two important shifts were under way that hurt Match.com. First, OkCupid and Plenty of Fish, had pioneered a new ad-supported business model. The second shift involved algorithms. By 2008 companies were getting more sophisticated about analyzing and understanding users' preferences and behavior. In 2009 Match made its first big acquisition, in the form of a company called People Media, that had a variety of smaller sites aimed at specific demographics. Facebook and Twitter were bringing more people onto social media, which sparked more interest in online dating, especially from older people. The biggest technology shift came after 2008. That's when Apple introduced the App Store. Within a few years that completely changed the face of our industry - a change sparked largely by Tinder. Last year Tinder's revenue topped $800M, demonstrating that many people are willing to pay for features. Right now we're working on several new strategies that we expect will drive our next phase of growth.

by Mandy Ginsberg
See full article at Harvard Business Review

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Singles in America: Match Releases 9th Annual Study on U.S. Single Population

MATCH.COM - July 30 - This new data reveals how America's singles are looking for love, yet are fatigued by the process - as well as their current attitudes around sex and dating. It also uncovers the sex habits of Gen Z and Millennials, how men are responding to the #MeToo movement, and how singles of all ages are rewriting America's love story. 83% feel that love is hard to find, while 43% reported believing that technology has made finding love more difficult. Yet still 75% of singles are hopeful that love is out there, and ~60% are motivated to find romantic love. Only 9% of singles are looking to date casually.

See full article at Match.com website

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Match is Launching a New Campaign With Actress Rebel Wilson

OPW - July 31 - Rebel Wilson is partnering with Match for their new podcast called LetsMakeLove.com.

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#MeToo Has Changed How a Lot of Single Men Behave

CBS NEWS - July 31 - Match.com conducted a new study that looked at how #MeToo has affected dating culture. The study found that 51% of men have changed their behavior, 40% of men have changed their behavior at work and 33% of men have changed their behavior on a date. According to Helen Fisher, a biological anthropologist and the chief scientific adviser for Match, men are being more careful, reserved and more cognizant of the kinds of jokes they make in an effort to have the right kinds of conversations.

See full article at CBS News

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Match.com: the Busiest Day This Summer

MINDBODYGREEN - July 4 - Match analyzed their 20 years of historical data on app activity and predict July 7, 2019 (the Sunday after the Fourth of July) will be their busiest day of the summer. That's partially because it happens over a long holiday weekend, when they always see a jump in the number of people using dating apps, but it also has to do with the real start of summer finally rolling in. According to Match, they're expecting a 20% increase in activity on July 7 in comparison to Valentine's Day.

by Kelly Gonsalves
See full article at MindBodyGreen

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